Indoor concerts in Los Angeles will require proof of vaccination starting Nov. 4.
The L.A. City Council voted 11-2 on Wednesday (Oct. 6) to pass the ordinance that requires full proof of vaccination before entering indoor entertainment venues, as well as indoor restaurants, bars, gyms, shopping centers and personal care establishments. The ordinance would apply to people aged 12 and up.
The new ordinance will apply only to indoor spaces and adults without proof of full vaccination — at least two weeks following the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or after the single Johnson & Johnson vaccine — can continue to use outdoor spaces throughout the city.
People would also be able to sidestep the mandate if they have medical conditions that prohibit them from receiving the vaccine or if the business accepts an exemption due to religious beliefs. These exemptions and other uninoculated adults may also enter indoor spaces if they can provide a negative COVID-19 test result within 72 hours.
The vaccine requirement will also apply to outdoor events with more than 5,000 people or attendees can provide a negative COVID-19 test result. The city ordinance differs from the L.A. County order passed on Sept. 15 that mandates all attendees and workers at outdoor “mega-events” for venues including the Hollywood Bowl or Dodgers Stadium of 10,000 people or more show either proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test results received within 72 hours beginning Thursday. That order was an extension of a previous L.A. County order that required indoor events of more than 1,000 attendees to require proof of vaccination or a negative test result to enter.
Indoor spaces that fall under the ordinance would be required to display notices of the forthcoming vaccine requirement starting Oct. 21. Businesses that fail to comply with the mandate will first receive a notice to correct, followed by fines of $1,000, $2,000 and $5,000 for second, third and subsequent infractions, respectively. Fines will be issued to the establishment.
The ordinance will now head to L.A. mayor Eric Garcetti’s desk for signing. According to NBC News, Garcetti expressed support for the ordinance last week stating, “I don’t want to bury another city employee, police officer, firefighter.”